Robin's Nest

Zine
Title:	Robin's Nest
Publisher:	P.I. Press/Polaris Press
Editor(s):	Lorraine Bartlett & Jude Wilson
Date(s):	1984-1987
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Magnum P.I.
Language:	English
External Links:
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Robin's Nest is a gen Magnum P.I. anthology.

Issue 1

front cover of issue #1, Leah Rosenthal

back cover of issue #1, Leah Rosenthal

Robin's Nest 1 was published in 1984 and contains 118 pages.

It has art by T.J. Burnside, Jessie Craig, Lisa L., Candy R., Leah Rosenthal, Liz Tucker, and Karen River.

• A Compendium of Facts (Revised) by Wilson-Bartlett (4)
• An Affaire De Coeur by Patrice L. Heyes (12)
• Theodore's Song by Sue-Anne Hartwick (40)
• Nightmare in Paradise by E.M. Batterby (44)
• Missing You by Lorraine Bartlett ("Magnum, T.C. and Rick pay a visit to Washington D.C. for the Viet Nam Vet's Memorial Day celebration—facing their feelings toward their time in Viet Nam.") (45)
• T.C.'s Soliliquy by D.C. Wickes (53)
• I'm No Hero by Jude Wilson ("Rick is stabbed by a Vietnamese refugee and Magnum seeks help from Honolulu's underground to track down the man.") (54)
• A Typical Day in Paradise by Ann Wortham (86)
• Mac by Sue-Anne Hartwick (93)
• Justice by Jude Wilson (94)
• Aftermath by Judy D. Lawson (100)
• Dear T.C. by Sherry Caviness (104)
• Low Road to China by Carol S. Jenkins (106)

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, Karen River

flyer for issue #2

Robin's Nest 2 was published in 1985 and contains 161 pages.

The art is by T.J. Burnside, Jessie C., Ruth Kurz, Ann Larimer, Christine Myers, Karen River (front & back cover), Leah Rosenthal (inside back cover), and Ann S.

A submission request in Universal Translator #23 says this issue was to contain "The Tiger" by Jude Wilson.

• Editorials by Who Do You Think? (2)
• Letters of Comment by Various Unscrupulous Persons (4)
• Magnum P.I. Episode Guide by Bartlett/Wilson (15)
• Hang Gliding to Molokai by Teresa Sarick (28)
• Penny Thoughts by Cathy Bryson ("Higgins reflects on his unsettled life since one Thomas Sullivan Magnum moved onto Robin Masters' Hawaiian estate.") (30)
• Can You Imagine? by Karen L. Mitchell (35)
• Little Voice by Teresa Sarick (36)
• 50 Ways To Get A Freebie by Mysti Frank (38)
• Still Counting by Carol S. Jenkins ("It's been two years since Mac's death, and Magnum is still counting sunrises.") (39)
• Wendy by Sue-Anne Hartwick (42)
• Heart to Heart by Patrice L. Heyes ("Magnum wonders how Higgins will react to the news that Elllie, the daughter Higgins recently discovered, is getting married. He'll be fine -- won't he?") (44)
• How to Survive the Beaches by Karen L. Mitchell (56)
• Magnum No Kaa Oe by Karen L. Mitchell (57)
• August 8 by Carol S. Jenkins (It's Magnum's birthday and time for his annual surprise party, but the surprise is on him when there is no one around to help celebrate.") (58)
• Test Your Knowledge by Wilson/Heyes (70)
• Alexis by Sue-Anne Hartwick (72)
• Prisoners of War by Jackie Paciello ("You don't need to have fired a gun on the outskirts of Da Nang to be considered a casualty of war. Nurse Karen Martz and Magnum are inexplicable drawn to one another, but is it because Magnum's a 'Nam vet who may be permanently blinded and she's a sympathetic nurse, or is it because they remind each other of someone each lost in the war?") (74)
• Another Rotten Day in Paradise by Sally Smith/Cathy Woldow ("Everyone on the islands is reading Robin Master's new novel, and the hero sounds suspiciously like Thomas Magnum.") (119)
• Yesterday's Shadows by Jude Wilson ("A woman from Rick's past comes to Hawaii and shatters his idea of Paradise when he's charged with her husband's murder.") (129)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

There were two meaty stories in this zine, although I'd not class either of them as a rock'em sock'em adventures of a private eye. Both were get-to-know-the-character stories. My favorite was 'Yesterday's Shadows.' The author took the reader on a trip into Rick's past and then had that past come out and haunt him in the present. It was a well-written, tightly-woven story. I also liked 'Prisoners of War'. The author's handling of Magnum was well done. I found the medical descriptions chilling. She seems to know her stuff in that department! The rest of the zine, roughly half, was taken up by some very good shorter stories, a nicely done episode guide, a few cartoons, a smattering of poetry, a brief editorial, and a few pages of locs. Some of the short stories were excellent. I especially liked "Another Rotten Day in Paradise.' I refuse to try to tell you anything about it, it might ruin the story. 'August 8th' was also good. Magnum's exploits in trying to find out about his birthday party were well thought out and in character. 'Penny Thoughts' was a nice little piece of Higgins' relationship with Magnum but I found her characterization of Magnum a bit too childish. Of course, he does act that way at times! 'Still Counting' was okay. I really liked her other story much better. 'Heart to Heart' was also okay, but had Higgins a bit too emotional for my taste... The poetry was all pretty good, though by my admission and I am not a poetry expert. I did find the ones written in 'Hawaiian' difficult to understand but interesting in their odd dialect. The cartoons all gave me a good giggle, especially Leah Rosenthal's little voice one at the beginning. Onto the artwork: The cover is splendid. Karen river did a marvelous job and her artwork in this zine is a joy. Christine Myers' one illo was very nice, as were Burnsides and Kurz' The rest of the illustrations were good and solid. There were none that were a detriment tot eh story. As far as the technical aspects of the zine went, I only had a few minor complaints. The lack of indentation at the beginning of new sections too a bit of getting used to. Also, the print was a bit, well, fuzzy and pale. It was not hard to read, but it did bother me a bit at first. However, I only found a few typos in the entire zine. Me thinks the typist was very good, or someone has a spelling checker for their computer! All in all, an excellent zine. A must for any Magnum fan. I enjoyed it greatly, and will read some of the stories again, a rare thing for me to do.

A handsome zine dedicated to the Magnum PI tv series. Focus of stories range from spotlighting individual characters ("Yesterday's Shadows" - Rickj "Heart to Heart" - Higgins) to heavy drama ("Still Counting," "Prisoners of War"). Humor abounds also in cartoons, limericks, and stories ("Another Rotten Day in Paradise"). Beautiful art and an episode guide that covers the first five years up to the Feb. '85 aired shows, with the rest to be continued in the next issue. Most outstanding piece to this reader was the clever island dialect applied to a jair of poems by Karen Mitchell. Also; a trivia contest on the opening credits! A hefty zine at 160 pages.

Issue 3

front cover #3, Karen River

back cover #3, Karen River

Robin's Nest 3 was published in 1986 and contains a 146 pages which includes a crossover with Airwolf.

The art is by Sheryl Adsit, Sandy Allen, Guy Clayton Brownlee, Stephanie Hawks, Ann Larimer, Christine Myers, Mary Otten, Karen River, Leah Rosenthal, and Mary G.T. Webber.

• Editorial (2)
• Letters Of Comment (4)
• Magnum, P.I. Episode Guide by Jude Wilson (16)
• Flashback by Ann Wortham ("Magnum becomes entangled in one of Higgins' WWII stories, only this time it really happened just the way Higgins imagined—well, almost anyway.") (22)
• A Remembrance of Adelaide by Teresa Sarick—Poem. (37)
• Deja Vu by Sue-Anne Hartwick—Poem. (39)
• How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Rainbow T'pyr ("Two weeks in Paradise sounds wonderful, doesn't it? It would have been, except for one rather pushy private investigator.") (40)
• London To Honolulu: Magnum by Patti Heyes—Poem. (48)
• London To Honolulu: Higgins by Patti Heyes—Poem. (49)
• A Wolf In Paradise by Jane Leavell ("Robin has assured Archangel that his estate in Hawaii is perfect for a little R&R. Magnum and Hlgglns are awfully embarrassed when he gets kidnapped shortly after his arrival." Crossover with Airwolf.) (50)
• The Game Guy by Clayton Brownlee ("The point of view of the shark in "Home from the Sea".") (67)
• I Made It Dad—Part II by Karen Mitchell (69)
• Mercy Mission by Sara Abbott ("Memories of long ago surface when T.C. flies the strangest mission of his life.") (70)
• Echoes by Mary G.T. Webber (79)
• Garden Spot by Sandy Allen (80)
• After The Ball by Mary G.T. Webber ("That night was one of the longest in Magnum's life—the night following Ivan's death.") (81)
• Reasonable Doubt by Sue-Anne Hartwick (86)
• Mistaken Identity by Sue-Anne Hartwick (88)
• Lamentation by Karen Miller (89)
• Robin's Nest-Magnum p.i. Survey by Patti Heyes (90)
• Cinder-Magnum by Terry Martin ("How does one handle a fairy god-person who uses a pineapple for a magic wand, a rubber chicken changing into a helicopter, and two Dobermans that turn into Rick and T.C?") (92)
• Trivial Magnum by Joyce DeBoard (102)
• Thomas by Karen Miller (100)
• Apologia—Buck Greene by Sheryl Adsit (104)
• Grousing by Teresa Sarick (106)
• The Marionette Mistress by Karen Miller ("Personalities, tempers and bonds of brotherhood and friendship are stretched to the limit when Magnum finds himself just a puppet on a string.") (108)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

Great Magnum fan that I am, I've managed to watch exactly one episode in the entire six seasons this show has been on the air. Now before you write me off as a biased judge of MPI material, let me state that the omission had nothing to do with a bourgeois attitude about an impossibly good-looking private investigator that everyone else liked, so I automatically hated. (People who know me have witnessed my rantings and incense burning at the house of Steele on more than one occasion, proving this is definitely not the case). Thomas Sullivan Magnum eluded my grasp for reasons much more basic than that. My boyfriend loved Tom more than he loved me, (glued to the set, he was—stationary rowing machine screeching in synch with master mustache's every move) and I refused to contribute so much as a millisecond to my rival's Nielsen ranking. Six years and several less infatuated lovers later, I am finally free of the binds that tied me. Thank God, Tommy's still around.

In a way, being unfamiliar with the history gives one a more objective view of the material. No allowances are made for plot holes. Incidental references, etc. normally filled by fans who "know what happened." When a media story works right, the episodic bits and pieces prod the neo into wanting to get their hands on a tape as soon as possible so they can find out "what happened" for themselves; as opposed to inside-joke throwaways, that no one other than a dedicated follower would be interested in. Now that you know where I'm coming from, let's take a look at the zine.

Considering this is the third issue of a book limited to characters from the show, this baby is fat — 142 pages practically bulging at the seams, proving just how much of a grip MPI has on fandom.

Front and back covers by Karen River are flawless, although both drawings could have been larger, eliminating much of the white space (Rick, In particular) appears to be swimming in. Inside layout is excellent, with contents running the gamut of serious fiction to LoCs and trivia. As with prior issues, the illos are excellent to superior, and there are lots of them; as well as a splattering of Leah Rosenthal's hallmark cartoons. Reproduction is mimeo — a turn off only to those still suffering the effects of "toner high" when it was their turn to crank out the pop quiz in 3rd grade. If anything, producing RN in this fashion is one of its biggest advantages. The quality is superb - crisp, clean, and about half the cost of offset, enabling Jude to sell this volume for a mere $8.00.

Due to the large amount of material, I'm going to concentrate on a couple of stories that impressed me the most.

I get the feeling that FLASHBACK by Ann Wortham takes us back to 1943 where a wounded Corporal Higgins is trapped with two of his Allied comrades in German occupied North Africa. The lone American in the group volunteers to go for help, assuring the two Brits a friendly regiment is in the area, and they'll be back to rescue them in no time. Allied forces just happen along, but by accident, not from any warning by an American sent to alert them. Flash forward to 1985, and a face ingrained in Higgins' memory suddenly appears at the King Kamehameha Club, looking exactly the way he remembered it 42 years before. In shock, he calls out the name of the soldier who deserted him, and receives a momentary, non-verbal response from his quarry, before the man gets up and hurries from the club. This story contains your classic "grabber"; a situation that cannot be, but inevitably is. Even though you figure out who the present day clone is a page or two into the story, the circumstances surrounding his appearance and the resolution to Higgins' conflict, keep you glued to the page until the very end. Stories of this type usually run into trouble during the time-shift phases, but no such problem arises here. Transitions are smooth and follow a logical pattern, and Higgins' "little voice" is used in a highly effective manner. While this tale is rather low-key compared to some of the other selections in the zine, I think my ignorance of this part of the character's background is why I enjoyed it so much. Each scene builds toward the climax with just the right amount of progression; giving you enough clues to play along with the mystery, but withholding the elements to crack the case completely.

Jane Leavell's A WOLF IN PARADISE combines MPI and Airwolf in such a convincing manner it almost made me want to watch an episode, even though I'm relatively famous for avoiding any and all things Jan-Michael Vincent. Perhaps the somewhat minor role played by Hawke contributed to my appreciation of this suspenseful crossover. As an invited guest of Robin Masters, Michael Goldsmlth-Briggs aka Archangel, arrives at the estate under a cloud of mystery, which vanishes the moment skin divers invade the property, snatching him for transport to an old espionage foe with a hell of a grudge. Schooled in the ways of torture among spies, Marella, Hawke and Dom are soon on the scene, ready to do whatever it takes to free Archangel - with, or preferably without, Magnum's assistance. The one MPI episode I managed to see featured Higgins in a fit of fury over T.C.'s landing of the island hopper on the estate. You can imagine how he reacts to Airwolf. Characterization is the star here. While Michael's capture and eventual rescue is covered in realistic detail, everyone is more or less going through the required moves, with no special heroics or surprises. On an emotional level, sparks fly in all directions; a natural reaction from people of such diverse backgrounds and motivations for solving this particular incident. A definite B+.

In the editorial, Jude mentions something about Karen Miller's THE MARIONETTE MISTRESS being an "alternate universe story that should be viewed as such," which she went on to indicate, "everyone would not agree with." Forget about everyone who doesn't agree and read this story. Returning home late one evening, Higgins is surprised to find the Lads fast asleep on the lawn, victims of a covertly administered tranquilizer. Making his way to the Gatehouse to learn what Magnum knew of all this, he discovers the private investigator tied, spread-eagle on the bed, blindfolded and unconscious, a victim of some horrendous torture himself. Thomas has no idea who attacked him or why; and as the days pass and the horror extends to Rick's boat and T.C.'s chopper culminating in a brutal murder of the Lads, the strain of tracking down the person responsible and the guilt from knowing all of this is happening because of him, propels this story toward a surprising twist climax. I cannot praise this woman's writing enough. This is storytelling at its finest; intelligent, methodical, suspenseful, and with an urgency that pulls you into the core of the characters' beings, until you, too want to find out why this is happening. Even more impressive is the fact this story unfolds its mystery through everyday, routine events. There are no jumps from disaster to disaster with nothing in between, as is usually found in tales where the author wants to work the subject into a state of hysterical frenzy as soon as possible so the guilt trip can get underway. On the contrary, tragic occurrences are woven into life's total fabric, giving us a complete picture of the people we have come to care so much about. On the Pop scale of 1-10, "Marionette" scores an easy 11.

ROBIN'S NEST contains much, much more that the miserably few pieces outlined above. "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" by Rainbow T'Pyr and Sara Abbott's "Mercy Mission" are worthy entries as well.

RN is probably one of the most well balanced zines I've read, with just the right mixture of humor-to-serious pieces, and several items thrown in just for fun. For those of you who follow the series, a complete 5th and partial 6th season episode guide is included, as well as letters of comment on RN #2. If you are a Magnum fan, BUY this zine immediately. If you are someone who appreciates good humor, great art, excellent fiction, but feel (as I did) so-so about the island's #1 P. I., check it out anyway. The price is right, and you just might find out why everyone is so taken with this good-looking guy. Aloha!

All of the contributions to this issue are enjoyable, but a number are especially so for the dedicated Magnum fan.

Three of these are in the art realm: a portrait of TM by Christine Myers that captures that special sparkle, Karen River’s unparallelled penwork, and Leah Rosenthal's delightfully irreverent cartoons.

Of the written contributions, Patrice Heyes’ "Heart to Heart" is a sentimental but satisfying Higgins story, and Jude Wilson’s "Yesterday’s Shadows" does a good job of exploring Rick’s character and putting it to the test.

The gem of the issue is Jackie Paciello’s "Prisoners of War" which examines the scars that the Vietnam conflict left in many people — both those who served and those who waited at home. The central character interacting with Magnum might be a Mary Sue if she weren’t so credible as a nurse and so vulnerable as a human being. The story also offers a believable insight into Magnum's unfinished relationship with his former wife, Michelle, and how it has affected his relationships with other women. A nicely developed episode guide is a boon for those of us who haven't always watched the series. Good to excellent repro, effective editing and layout, and the work of writers whose skills are in a growth stage make this zine well worth the money.

Issue 4

cover of issue #4

Robin's Nest 4 was published by in 1987 and is 123 pages long.

There were 200 printed.

The front and back covers are by Karen River; interior art is by Gordon Carleton, Lee Shackleford, and Doranna Shiner.

• Magnum PI Episode Guide (5 pages)
• Magnum PI Crossword Puzzle (2 pages)
• A Letter From the Executive Producer (2 pages
• How I Spent My Summer Vacation or Was That You I Saw In people Magazine? (1 page)
• Magnum K-9 (19 pages)
• Joe (1 page)
• The Case of the Missing Vermeer (20 page)
• Playback (7 pages)
• Love Lies Bleeding (9 pages)
• St. Mary's: Memories (1 page)
• Little Girl (1 pages)
• Joey's Champion (5 pages)
• Going Home (1 page)
• You Take the High Road (14 pages)
• Present and Accounted For (14 pages)
• Hopes (4 pages)
• Opportunity Knocks (1 page)